The varsity volleyball team took down the Hendrickson Hawks 3-0 on Sept. 14 in a game dedicated to first responders. The theme was “Heroes Night,” where members of the military, veterans, and local police officers were invited to be recognized by the crowd in honor of their service and the events that occured on Sept. 11, 2001.

“It’s about all our heroes, the people that have served, who’ve sacrificed themselves and put themselves on the line to save others,” Kenzie Beckham ‘21 said.

The Hawks had the first serve of the game, but were immediately shut down by a kill from Audrey Quesnel ‘20. Abi Rucker ‘20 then kept up the momentum with an eight-serve streak, with help from kills by Caroline Suter ‘20 and Beckham, along with dives by Macy Prenger ‘20 that kept the ball in play. Hendrickson managed to collect a few points through clever blocks and deceiving tips, but aces by Quesnel and Suter prevented them from ever matching the Warrior’s score. The Warriors continued to put points on the board, and the set concluded with a kill by Zoe Menendez ‘20 for a final score of 25-15.

“It was really exciting,” Menendez said. “We had so much energy, and we have struggled to keep it going [in previous games], so I felt like we did a good job.”

Coming into the second set, the Hawks fought hard to attempt to pull out a win, managing to slip into the lead 6-5, but a joint effort between Prenger and Quesnel put an end to those dreams with a swift kill. Spikes by Maggie Stout ‘19 frazzled the Hawks, leading to several missed points due to miscommunications on the court. Time-outs called by Hendrickson only fueled the Warrior’s fire, and they lit the court ablaze with their volleys. Consistent serves by Jenny Todd ‘19 and a tip by Abby Gregorczyk ‘21 snuffed any chance of a victory from the Hawks, ending the set with a score of 25-12.

“We had a bye on Tuesday, and five of the girls went to watch Hendrickson play in a five-set match against Cedar Ridge,” head coach Tara Nelson said. “We were able to put some good notes together and come up with a plan coming into tonight.”

The third set was a power struggle between the two teams, with the score toggling back-and-forth until around the halfway mark. The Hawks became more systematic in their approach, sending carefully placed kills blazing towards the Warriors’ back line for a score of 10-10. However, the Warriors sealed their victory by constantly communicating and finding weaknesses in the Hawks’ gameplay. Aces by Stout, a dump by Beckham, and hits by Prenger all helped the Warriors prevent any unforeseen comebacks, and a double block by Quesnel and Anna King ‘20, secured their lead. A kill by Menendez finalized the win 25-16.

“We’ve got a really big, competitive week next week, and really need this boost of confidence,” Coach Nelson said. “After last Friday’s loss, it was nice to see us find our rhythm again.”

The Lady Warriors will face off against the Vandegrift Vipers on Sept. 18.